


eternal winter

by Lizxcliff



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: AU, Depression, Eternal Winter, Family Loss, FroppyFrosch, Gratsu - Freeform, Gray x Natsu - Freeform, King Gray, M/M, Natsu is a cocky kid, Natsu x Gray, angry king, fairy tail - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2019-11-08 02:39:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17972897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizxcliff/pseuds/Lizxcliff
Summary: “He can speak for himself,” The woman whimpers, curling into herself next to Natsu, who furrows his brows. “Who are you?”“That was fucking rude,” Natsu avoids the question, exclaiming what was on his mind. The woman and man gasp.“Excuse me?” The black haired man descends the stairs, narrowing his eyes at the intruder.“I said that was fucking rude,” Natsu repeats himself, arms crossing over his chest. “What gives you the right to talk to people that way?”“I’m the King.” The man reaches the bottom of the stairs, matching Natsu position.Natsu snorts, “Some King,” He mumbles.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mdelpin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/gifts).



> This is for the Gratsu Weekend 2019 Day 2 Prompt Melt. 
> 
> I had this idea, and it kept piling up, so I'm turning it into a multi chapter. Rated Mature for upcoming chapters.
> 
> Also, this is gifted to mdelpin because she's great :D 
> 
> Enjoy :)

Gray looks out across the land of Alderchi, where snow covers the ground. Not a single piece of green land is seen, no flowers or trees or dirt. Just. Snow. Looking over his front garden and gates, Gray watches the people of Alderchi scatter to their jobs and homes, bundled up from the cold. 

He turns away and walks to his dining room. Arms across his chest, he takes a seat at the head of the table, waiting for his chef, Sir Romeo to bring his breakfast. 

“Your Majesty,” Romeo enters, placing a dish in front of Gray, who eyes it up. 

“Thank you, Romeo.” Nodding his head, Romeo returns to the kitchen. Gray eats in silence, like always. 

-

A shiver rakes through Natsu’s body as he travels down the path leading to the country of Alderchi. He looks around, searching for any source of life that he may be able to ask for directions. 

In the distance, he sees a large castle, and Natsu can only assume that a king would reside in that large masterpiece. 

Trudging through the ice and snow, Natsu makes his way to the gates. Trying his luck, he pushes the metal door, and is pleasantly surprised when it opens without issue. 

He continues walking up the stoney path, careful not to slip, and soon he is standing in front of large, wooden doors. Taking the handle, he knocks loudly, before stepping back. 

Hands in his pockets, Natsu bounces on the balls of his feet, trying to keep warm. 

A loud click sounds, and the huge doors open, revealing a petite, blue-haired woman. 

“Sir?” She looks frightened, nervous. Natsu offers her a beaming smile in hopes of calming her. 

“Hello! My name is Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail in the country of Fiore.” His smile stays wide as he thinks of his home. “I was passing through and could really use a place to stay. I’ve been traveling a long time.” He shivers for emphasis. 

“U-Uh, yes sir. Right this way, sir.” The woman opens the door wider, gesturing with her right arm for Natsu to enter. His smile grows impossibly wider as he enters the threshold. 

Shaking the snow from his body, Natsu looks around, “Wow, this is beautiful.” 

The woman blushes, “Thank you, sir.”

“Is there anyone else who liv-,” Natsu is interrupted by a strong, male voice. 

“Who enters?” Looking to the direction of the question, Natsu is met with a handsome, young, dark haired man, standing at the top of the grand stairs. 

“Sir, this is N-Natsu Dragne-,” the blue haired girl begins to explain, when the man interrupts her. 

“He can speak for himself,” The woman whimpers, curling into herself next to Natsu, who furrows his brows. “Who are you?” 

“That was fucking rude,” Natsu avoids the question, exclaiming what was on his mind. The woman and man gasp. 

“Excuse me?” The black haired man descends the stairs, narrowing his eyes at the intruder. 

“I said that was fucking rude,” Natsu repeats himself, arms crossing over his chest. “What gives you the right to talk to people that way?"

“I’m the King.” The man reaches the bottom of the stairs, matching Natsu position. 

Natsu snorts, “Some King,” He mumbles. 

“Speak up,” 

“I said, some King,” Throwing a smirk the King’s way, Natsu puffs his chest out more in confidence. The King steps back in surprise, but recovers quickly. 

“Who do you think you are, speaking to a King that way?” He walks up to Natsu so they are closer, face to face. 

“Me.” Natsu says simply, smirk now a smile. “As this lovely woman was saying, I am Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail in the country of Fiore.” 

“Fairy Tail, hm?” The King eyes him up and down, taking in the mans shivering frame, though he tries to hide it. 

“Yes,”

“You’re mark?” 

Natsu takes off his coat, dropping it to the floor, already missing the comfort and warmth, and bears his right shoulder, his red symbol of Fairy Tail shown proudly. 

“I see,” the King says simply. 

“Yes, and I have been traveling for days, and could really use a place to stay for a couple days to warm up and prepare for the rest of my journey.” 

The King hums, then looks to the blue haired girl, who straightens at his stare. “Miss Juvia, show Sir Natsu to the quarters in the East wing.” 

The woman, Juvia, nods her head once. “Yes, sir.” Then gestures to Natsu to follow her. 

He picks up his coat, and turns to the King. “Thank you, kindly, King…” He prompts said King to share his name. The King stares back blankly. 

“Just King.” Natsu huffs and follows behind Juvia. The King watches after him, already regretting his decision. 

-

“Sir Natsu,” A blonde maid, whose name Natsu learns is Lucy, knocks on his bedroom doors, and enters. “The King would like you to join him for dinner this evening.” Natsu raises an eyebrow. 

“Oh? Okay than. When is dinner?” 

“In an hour, sir,” She bows her head, taking her leave. Natsu nods to himself. 

He’s sitting on his bed, organizing his sack of his clothes and food. He sits in only a towel, having just taken a much needed shower. 

Finding his best shirt and pants, he pulls them on, and returns to the bathroom to fix his hair. Once satisfied, he goes back to the bathroom to clean his mess. Under his coat, he finds the job flyer from a anonymous villager of Alderchi, asking for help to end this eternal winter. 

Natsu’s face contorts to one of determination as he thinks of a plan to get this cold to stop. 

-

“Thank you for joining me, Sir Natsu,” Gray greets Natsu at the entrance of the dining room. 

“Just Natsu is fine,  _ your highness _ ,” Natsu emphasizes the King’s title with a sarcastic smile. Gray snarls in return. 

Taking his seat at the head, Gray gestures to the seat across from him at the very end of the long table. Natsu raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t question, and sits down. 

Dinner is silent, but Natsu doesn’t complain, considering the food was everything he could’ve dreamed of. Letting out a large burp, Natsu slumps in his seat. 

“Wow, that was good,” Natsu praises. Gray groans in disgust. 

“Could you be anymore gross?” Natsu looks Gray in the eye and gives a smirk.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” With that, Natsu stands and returns to his room, missing the rising blush on King Gray’s cheeks.

-

Natsu can’t sleep. He’s been on edge since entering the castle, knowing something is up around here. Looking out the window into the dark night, he determines that it is past midnight. Assuming everyone was asleep, he slips out of his room quietly, beginning his own tour of the castle. 

Going through the dining room, a library, a study room, a living room with a grand piano, Natsu wonders if anything had been touched in a while. The amount of dust piled around determines that whoever this King was, he didn’t have any other family or friends, besides his servants most likely, though it seems they’re kept on a tight leash anyway. 

A large picture hangs over the fireplace. A male looking quite similar to the King, a woman, and a young boy, are beautifully painted within the frame. Considering the King now doesn’t look like the King in the picture, Natsu assumes that the young boy is this current, angry King. 

Natsu continues on his tour, reaching the west wing of the castle. He walks down a long hallway, trying to open each door he passes but they seemed to be locked. 

It’s then that he hears a deep scream, coming from the door at the end of the hall.  
  
Without thinking, Natsu springs into action, running to the source as the yells get louder. Leaning up against the door, Natsu hears the screams subside slightly, turning into whimpers of  _ momma _ and  _ dad _ . 

Natsu’s heart breaks, as he recognizes the voice belonging to the king. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'This guy has no royal manners, does he?'  
> “Good morning, Sir Natsu,” Gray bows his head. Natsu swallows.  
> “Good morning, Your Majesty,” Like yesterday, Natsu puts emphasis on Gray’s title. The King resists the urge to roll his eyes.  
> Taking his seat at the head, Sir Romeo brings out his breakfast. He thanks him kindly and digs in.  
> Natsu lets out a loud belch, excuses himself while wiping his mouth, and stands, promptly leaving the dining hall.

He knew he was dreaming. He just knew it. So why was it so cold? Why could he feel the wind blowing against his cheeks? Why did he feel the tears roll? Why could he feel the pain in his chest?

Gray found himself at the cemetery as they buried his father and mother. He held tightly to the hand of his butler, Sir Macao. It was snowing that day, of course it was. 

The Fullbuster’s were known for their love and kindness to the people of Alderchi. No matter who came to the castle, they welcomed them with open arms, and provided what they could for them. 

Though the country was not large, there were many people who came and went, so sometimes it was impossible to know everyone. 

The Fullbusters had an open door policy. 

That was their first mistake. 

They gave everyone second, third, and fourth chances. 

That was their second mistake. 

Their third mistake was what got them killed. And Gray will never forgive, nor give a second chance to those that hurt his family. 

Gray cried, he screamed, he was  _ hurting _ . 

Then, it was warm. 

-

Natsu opens the door where the screaming is coming from. The room is huge, but Natsu doesn’t have time to look around because in the center is the King, tangled in his bed sheets, yelling. 

Natsu approaches one side, trying to think of how to help the man before him. 

Another blood-curdling scream, and Natsu’s body moves before his mind can catch up. Crawling onto the bed, Natsu rips the blankets off the King, and wraps his arms around the thrashing body, ignoring the pain in his ribs as he’s elbowed repeatedly. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” He whispers in the King’s ear. He wishes in this moment that he knew the man’s name so he can call out to him. “You’re safe, you’re okay.” He rocks them back and forth as the King’s screams turn to whimpers, tears flooding his cheeks. Natsu squeezes the man tighter, repeating his words over and over again. 

-

The warmth surrounding his body is enough to wake Gray up from his nightmare. His breathing is harsh, throat scratchy from probably screaming. 

It doesn’t feel like he’s lying down. Opening his eyes, Gray first sees a pair of tan arms around him. Before he can attack the intruder, he hears a voice. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” It’s that man that had arrived earlier. He tilts his face up from the chest he is lying on, slowly looking at the man holding him. 

Gray finds Natsu’s eyes on him, and a sad smile that doesn’t look like it belongs there. “Hi,” Natsu whispers. 

Gray just stares back, his mind trying to find the reason as to why this man is in his room. 

“W-Why…” Gray breaks into a coughing fit, throat destroyed from his yelling. 

“Shh,” Natsu calms him. “You were yelling and I had been nearby.” Gray jerks at the warmth of Natsu’s hands, brushing at the stray fringe on Gray’s forehead. 

“But, I don’t even know you,” Gray whispers, finding it easier on his trachea than actually talking. 

“Yeah, but you were in trouble,” Natsu shrugs his shoulders slightly, “I’m a Fairy Tail member, we aim to help anyone in need.” 

“I don’t need your help,” Gray snaps, Natsu’s words bothering him. “I’m fine on my own.” 

Natsu snorts. “Yeah, okay.” Gray glares.  _ Who does this guy think he is? He acts as if he’s known me for years. _

“I’m not helpless.” Gray declares.

“I believe that.” Natsu agrees, though Gray sees a hint of amusement in those eyes, which only makes him angrier.

“I’m not weak.” 

“I agree.” 

“I’m just fine.” 

“Okay.” 

Gray takes a deep breath and moves away from Natsu. 

“You can go back to your room now.” Eyes focused on the duvet around them, Gray waves a dismissive hand. 

Natsu hesitates, trying to look at Gray’s face, but the stubborn man continues to hide. Natsu sighs and gets off the bed. 

“Alright. Goodnight.” Natsu closes the door behind him, as Gray drops to his pillows, hands in his hair. 

-

The following morning, Gray wakes to silence, as usual. The events from the night before play back in his mind. He blushes at the thought of another man seeing him in that state. Shaking his head, Gray rises from his bed and dresses for his day.

Once he reaches the dining room, Natsu is already seated, eating his eggs and bacon happily. The pinket looks up as Gray enters, and nods his head in acknowledgement. Gray raises an eyebrow. 

_ This guy has no royal manners, does he? _

“Good morning, Sir Natsu,” Gray bows his head. Natsu swallows.

“Good morning,  _ Your Majesty _ ,” Like yesterday, Natsu puts emphasis on Gray’s title. The King resists the urge to roll his eyes. 

Taking his seat at the head, Sir Romeo brings out his breakfast. He thanks him kindly and digs in. 

Natsu lets out a loud belch, excuses himself while wiping his mouth, and stands, promptly leaving the dining hall. Gray sighs at the loneliness that engulfs him instantly. 

-

Natsu is lounging in his room, reading over the flyer from Fairy Tail, when there’s a knock at the door. 

“Come in,” 

Expecting to see Juvia or Lucy, Natsu sits up on his bed. However, he is pleasantly (or not so pleasantly) surprised to find the King standing in his doorway, looking sheepish. 

Caught off guard, Natsu stands. 

“Your Majesty, how may I help you?” It is the most polite he’s been since arriving, but it’s because Natsu worries that something is wrong with the King. 

“I came here to, um,” The King pauses, looking at the ground, cheeks tinted pink. “I came here to thank you,” Natsu’s eyebrows raise, “For last night.” The last part comes out as a whisper.

“Oh,” Natsu says, stunned. “You’re, um, welcome,” He mumbles. The King looks up, and Natsu can feel the heat in his cheeks at the man’s soft stare. 

The two stand in silence, and it’s comfortable, yet tense. The King is the first to speak up.

“Would you like to accompany me to my game room?” Natsu’s eyes brighten, a large smile spreading across his face. 

“You have a game room?!” The King chuckles lightly.

“Yeah, and a sparring center.” The King smirks, issuing a challenge in the air. Natsu’s eyes narrow, though his smile never fades. 

“Hell yes! Let’s go!” Natsu’s excitement is loud. He grabs his shoes to roam the castle, but before they can leave his bedroom, Natsu stops the King. 

“If I’m planning on kicking your ass, I would really like to know your name.” 

The King’s smirk falters, and Natsu catches it, but doesn’t back down. The young man before him straightens slightly, smirk turning into a small, toothless smile. 

“Gray.”

-

“Bastard!” Natsu throws his cue stick to the ground, grumbling curses under his breath. Gray snickers.

“Don’t blame the eight ball,” Gray’s arms cross over his chest as he smirks at the raging man in front of him. “It’s not its fault you can’t aim.” Natsu sends glares at Gray. 

“Well maybe if your equipment didn’t suck-” Natsu starts.

“Hey!” 

“Then maybe we’d have a fair game.” Natsu’s hands find his hips. Gray rolls his eyes.

“Please,” The King hangs his cue stick on the wall. “Just because you lost three times, doesn’t mean the game is rigged. You’re just bad at billiards.” Gray’s smirk grew and he leans against the wooden wall. 

“Bet I’ll beat your ass in darts then,” Natsu ignores his stick on the ground, walking around the pool table to the darts board in the far back corner. Gray rolls his eyes, again. 

“Sure,” Gray follows the pinket, wiping his hands on his trousers. 

 

After four rounds, the men are tied with two wins each. Natsu lifts an eyebrow at the King. 

“Wanna raise the stakes?” Gray straightens.

“What were you thinking?” Natsu puts a finger to his chin as he thinks. 

“Oh!” Natsu’s eyes brighten, along with his smile. “Loser has to run outside the front of the castle in only their underwear!” Natsu smirks. 

Gray snorts. “Okay, challenge accepted.” 

-

Natsu loses. With a pout and furrowed eyebrow, Natsu undresses by the grand doors of the castle, and Gray tries to hold back laughter from behind him. The servants are huddled behind a door in the corner, watching the scene quietly. 

Natsu turns around to look Gray in the eye. Narrowing his eyes, Natsu points a finger at the King. 

“Bastard.” Gray can’t hold back any longer, as laughter bubbles in his chest, ringing through the threshold. 

“I believe you have a punishment to take care of.” Gray says between chuckles, raising an eyebrow. 

Natsu shakes his head and walks to the doors. With a deep breath, he grasps the handle and pulls the wood open. He’s immediately greeted by a harsh chill, and shivers rake his body. Wasting no more time, Natsu runs outside, the falling snow stinging his skin. 

Gray’s laugh rings out, and Natsu smiles through the pain. 

-

A week passes quickly, and Gray is fucked. 

Natsu is everything he’s not, but everything he wants to be. He finds himself thinking of the pink haired male constantly. 

How his beaming smile lightens Gray’s chest just a bit. How he’s so carefree, it seems nothing can tear him down. How strong and powerful he is when they spar, giving Gray an actual challenge. How handsome he is. How witty he is. How annoying he is. How he wishes he could have the man forever. 

A week passes quickly, and Gray is  _ royally _ fucked because he’s falling for the man who pushed himself into Gray’s life. 

-

Natsu can see a difference in Gray over the past week. The King laughs more, is kinder to his employees, and, in Natsu’s opinion, is sexier. 

When they spar, Natsu has to force himself not to get distracted by the sweat that drips down Gray’s naked torso, and how his muscles flex when moving around. Natsu is undeniably attracted to this man and has no idea what to do with it. 

-

It’s been seven days since Natsu’s arrived, and he has little to no lead on how to fix this eternal winter. 

Natsu lays in his bed, trying to figure out how and when to get to the village. He sighs and closes his eyes, trying to shut his mind off to sleep. His thoughts wander to his friends and family back home. His boss and grandfather, Makarov, his sister Wendy, and his friends Lisanna and Erza. Natsu couldn’t tell them what he was doing, only that he may be gone for a while. 

His grandfather depends on his gift to reach people. Natsu has this aura to him, causing others to trust him, open up to him.

Natsu senses magic within the ice surrounding them, and he hopes to use his power to convince the wielder to end this long, cold winter.

_ Dammit, I’m thinking about the job again. _ Natsu lets out another sigh, opening his eyes to look at the plain white ceiling above him. Swinging his legs off the side of his bed, Natsu stands and stretches.  _ Maybe I can walk myself tired enough to fall asleep. _ Natsu quietly slips out of his room, making way for the living room. 

Getting closer, Natsu hears a beautiful melody ringing. He’s captivated, continuing his journey a bit quicker to find the source of the wonderful music. When he enters the threshold, he freezes, stunned. 

Sitting there, elegant fingers dancing across the keys, is King Gray. His eyes are closed, playing the tune by heart. Natsu watches on, afraid to interrupt his new friend. The song picks up in pace, reaching a crescendo before it crashes down to a soft, slow tune. As the last of the notes ring out, Natsu clears his throat. 

Gray’s body jolts, terror written on his normally blank face. When he sees Natsu, he relaxes, but only slightly. 

“What’re you doing up?” Gray’s voice is scratchy, most likely from lack of use. 

“I could ask the same thing,” Natsu gives a small smile, walking towards Gray’s spot on the bench. 

“I, uh, I couldn’t sleep,” Gray looks down, avoiding Natsu’s questioning gaze.

Feeling as though the man before him doesn’t want to share what’s wrong, Natsu speaks up. 

“Me either,” Gray looks up, and Natsu gestures with his arm, asking to sit beside him. Gray nods and scoots to the side. “What were you playing?” Gray tenses. 

“A uh, a song my mother taught me.” Natsu nods. 

“Can I hear it again?” Gray’s head snaps in his direction. He gulps before nodding.

Gray’s fingers begin their dance again. It’s not long before he’s lost in the tune, eyes closed as he plays flawlessly. Even though Natsu doesn’t know the song, he can feel the emotions in between the notes that fill the empty air around them. Natsu’s gaze lingers on Gray’s graceful fingers before moving up to the King’s face. He watches closely, smiling at the softness of Gray’s skin, how his lips twitch when he hits a certain bundle of notes. 

But then, Natsu sees a small tear at the corner of Gray’s closed eyes, and it slowly falls down Gray’s cheek. Natsu instinctively reaches out to brush the water away. 

Gray jerks at the touch, fingers fumbling, before completely stopping. He opens his eyes to find Natsu staring at him. Natsu’s hand stays on Gray’s cheek, rubbing lightly with his thumb. Flickering between green eyes, Gray searches for a reason as to why the man before him holds his face so tenderly. 

Gray’s mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water, wanting to say what he’s feeling. Natsu’s eyes watch those lips, then look into Gray’s eyes. 

“Can I…” Natsu whispers, eyes flitting down to Gray’s pink lips again. Gray nods without thinking. 

Natsu leans in slowly, giving Gray the opportunity to retreat, though he doesn’t. Natsu closes the gap, barely touching Gray’s lips with his own as both of their eyes slip shut. 

Gray is the first to apply more pressure, bringing his left hand up to fist through Natsu’s hair. The pinket groans on impact, causing shivers to rake through Gray’s spine. They continue their kiss for a few more moments, before pulling away to breathe. 

Their foreheads stay connected and as they look into each other’s eyes, small, shy smiles light up  their faces. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there ya go! i hope you enjoyed!
> 
> this chapter was hard to write, so any criticism or advice is welcomed! 
> 
> <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is there anything you had planned today?” Natsu thought for a moment before an idea came to mind.  
> “Oh! I’d love to go to the library in the village.” Gray stiffens at the mention of his town, and Natsu notices. “You don’t have to come, I’ll only be gone for a couple hours.” Natsu gives a warm smile, though Gray doesn’t return it.   
> The King shakes his head. “No, no. I’ll come. I don’t want you getting lost.” Natsu grins at the sweet suggestion.   
> “Okay. I won’t say no to your company.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello. another chapter!! 
> 
> i apologize for the incredibly late update. i'm sure no one wants to hear excuses, but if you do, it'll be in the end notes. 
> 
> i hope you enjoy. we're almost finished with this roller coaster of sorts.

Heading into week three of being in the large castle, Natsu still has no idea what to do about the cold. 

He’s sitting in the once abandoned living room, reading over one of the many history books on the country of Alderchi. Besides vague descriptions of the royal family, the architecture, and the town itself, nothing gave a clue as to what caused this eternal winter. Maybe it was because the history books hadn’t been updated yet, but still. He’d hoped for at least some sort of clue. 

Sighing deeply, Natsu places the book on the table beside him and rubs his eyes of dryness from reading nonstop for the past three hours. He yawns as Gray enters the room with two teacups. 

“Hey,” Natsu looks up and smiles at the man before him. 

“Hey yourself,” Gray gives a small smile, taking a spot on the couch beside Natsu. He hands over a cup. 

“I got you some tea,” Natsu takes the steaming drink and sips it. 

“Mmm, thank you so much.” Natsu kisses Gray’s cheek. The King flushes furiously at the gesture. 

“I-It was no problem,” Gray looks at the cup in his own hands, avoiding Natsu’s charming gaze. 

Natsu smiles, enjoying the improvement in Gray over the past two weeks. The man no longer treats those around him rudely, and is more willing to go out of his way to help others. Natsu’s smile widens as he thinks about the night they shared over a week ago. 

“What are you so smiley about?” Gray breaks through Natsu’s thoughts, raising an eyebrow. 

“Nothing, just thinking.” Natsu leans in closer so he’s against Gray’s side. 

The King blushes more and turns away. “Is there anything you had planned today?” Natsu thought for a moment before an idea came to mind.

“Oh! I’d love to go to the library in the village.” Gray stiffens at the mention of his town, and Natsu notices. “You don’t have to come, I’ll only be gone for a couple hours.” Natsu gives a warm smile, though Gray doesn’t return it. 

The King shakes his head. “No, no. I’ll come. I don’t want you getting lost.” Natsu grins at the sweet suggestion. 

“Okay. I won’t say no to  _ your _ company.” Trying to bring more light to the mood, Natsu flirts with Gray, gaining a shy smile from the man. 

“Yeah, whatever.” Gray mumbles, taking another sip of his tea, while Natsu chuckles softly into his own cup. “It’s just down the path about a half a mile, but knowing your idiocy, you’ll get lost quickly.” 

“Hey!” Natsu yells, shooting a glare at the King, who is smirking triumphantly.

-

“Is the disguise really necessary?” Natsu rolls his eyes and sighs at how ridiculous Gray looks. The King scowls.

“Yes. It is.” Gray fixes his brown, oversized jacket. Although the coat isn’t abnormal, it is for a King to wear. As well as the hat on his head, that leaves a dark shadow across Gray’s face. His trousers are black and worn out looking, though Natsu has no idea where the King could’ve gotten those from. The shoes are the worst of all. They are normal, plain black dress shoes that are way to shiny for any town worker. Even if Gray tries playing off as a businessman, the shoes made no sense with how nicely kept they are. 

Natsu stares at said shoes. “You found worn out pants, but you grabbed your best shoes?” Raising an eyebrow, he looks up at Gray, who is glaring. 

“These are  _ not _ my best shoes, Natsu.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “These are my worst pair.” Natsu’s eyes widen as he looks at the footwear again. 

“Wow.” Gray shakes his head, and leads the way to the town, Natsu catching up behind him after breaking from his trance. 

-

“Wow.” 

It seems Natsu’s word of the day was  _ wow _ because that’s all he’s said since they left the castle. He points out little shops, bars, and fancy looking restaurants. Gray rolls his eyes for the millionth time. 

“You never reacted this way to the castle.” Gray grumbles, almost jealous of Natsu’s interest in the town. Natsu looks over, his sensitive ears picking up Gray’s words. 

“Oh, I did.” Gray’s head snaps up to look at Natsu. “You were just too much of an asshole in the beginning, so I didn’t want to give your ego a boost.” Natsu smirks at the shock and irritation that flashes across Gray’s face. 

“Whatever,” Gray ends the conversation, picking up the pace towards the library. 

The bell rings as they open the door, signaling the front desk that there are customers. A woman looks up and gives a smile to the pair before returning to her book sorting. 

The library wasn’t that big, but it did have a large collection of different genres. 

“So,” Gray keeps his voice low so as  not to disturb those around them. “What are you looking for?” Natsu hums before responding. 

“I wanted to find more updated history books on your country.” This made Gray stop in his tracks as Natsu continues to look around. Quickly realizing he is alone, Natsu looks behind him at Gray, who is staring back at him blankly. “What?” 

Gray stares a Natsu for a moment longer before shaking his head, a small frown on his lips. 

“Nothing. The archives are over there.” Gray points ahead and Natsu follows the gesture. 

“Awesome. C’mon!” Natsu grabs Gray’s hand, tugging him along. Gray grunts and tries to pull away, with no success. 

“Natsu,” Gray scolds. The pinket ignores the King, and continues along. Gray gives up, letting his body be manhandled. 

When they reach the shelf, Natsu looks mesmerized, staring at all the books in front of him. 

“I don’t even know where to start.” Natsu whispers and Gray snorts. 

“You can sign some out, ya know?” Natsu looks over to Gray with wide eyes. The King’s expression softens. “You can bring them back to the castle so you can be comfortable while reading.” Natsu smiles brightly and begins searching for what he wants. 

Gray watches with a fond smile, before looking around him. 

He hasn’t been to the library in what feels like a lifetime. His mother had taken him here before she died, showing Gray the beauty of reading.

 

_ Reading is dreaming with open eyes. _ His mother would tell him, as he picked up every book that had a colorful cover, flipping through pages pretending to be a fast reader. Then, he’d slam the book close and announce he was done, receiving several  _ ‘shh’ _ s in response. But it wouldn’t deter him, and he’d go find another book to “read”. 

That was when he was really young. But the last time they were here was about a week before she died. She wanted to get a romance novel that she loved when she was a teenager, and Gray tagged along to get away from the responsibilities of the castle and being the prince. 

Gray remembers walking through the doors, eyes heavy with exhaustion. His mother had a bounce in her step, but he couldn’t get as excited as he used to. But before she found the book she was looking for, she made a beeline for the children’s section. Gray was confused, but followed his mother anyway. 

She ignored her sons questioning stares, looking for something specific. She ended up kneeling on the floor, dirtying her gown, and searching the bottom shelf. With an  _ ‘a ha’ _ , she pulls out a filthy, torn up, picture book called  _ Love You Forever _ . Gray’s eye widened at the familiar story. Mika stood as she stared fondly at the book. 

Gray remembers that look in her eyes, the joy that shined. She walked right past Gray to an empty table, and sat down, opening the book. She was careful, the pages already thin. As she quietly read, Gray stood behind her, reading over her shoulder. He smiled to himself, hearing his mother’s soft voice, even though she wasn’t reading aloud. 

As she reached the last page and closed the book, she looked up at her son, knowing he was there the entire time. He smiled back at her before sitting down at the table. Mika grabbed his hand, placing them both on the table. 

_ “My dear,” _ Gray could still hear her voice clear as day.  _ “I love you forever. Please do not forget that.”  _ Gray had nodded, leaned forward and hugged his mom tightly. 

 

In present time, Gray finds himself in that same aisle, looking down at that shelf that his mother had searched through six years ago. He has no idea how he got here, but he’s on auto pilot as he crouches down, and moves books around. Gray’s heart beats faster when he can’t find it. 

Suddenly, a small, young girl with black, straight hair walks up to Gray, arms hiding behind her as she sways side to side. The King  looks up, eyes wide and frantic as he tries to maintain his disguise. The girl doesn’t seem fazed. 

“Mister, are you okay?” She asks, tilting her head to the side. Gray clears his throat.

“Yes, I am. Sorry to have scared you.” Gray whispers being respectful of the library’s rules. She smiles brightly. 

“You didn’t! What are you looking for?” Gray stays on the ground, removing his hat and scratching his head. 

“Just a book from when I was your age.” The girl hums and removes her arms that were behind her back. 

“Is it this one?” Gray’s eyes grow impossibly larger at the worn out, disgusting, amazing old book that he had been looking for. 

“U-Uh, yeah.” He goes to reach for it, but pulls back quickly. The girl bounces on her toes, getting closer.

“Here ya go!” She places the book in his lap, and he stares at it before looking up at her. She’s grinning so wide, her eyes are shut.

Gray fiddles with the frail book in his lap, before speaking up again. “What did you think of the book?” She giggles. 

“The pictures were super cute!” Her bounce is slightly higher, as she waves her arms around to emphasize her opinion. 

“What about the story itself?” He smiles at her, relishing in the joy that oozed out of this girl. 

“Oh, I can’t read.” Her smile stays as she shrugs her shoulders. Gray speaks before thinking. 

“Would you like me to read it to you?” The girl squeals and grabs his arm, trying to pull him from his sitting position. He laughs as she struggles. 

Once he’s up, she runs to an empty table, climbing onto the seat, and waits for Gray to join her. 

Gray places his hat on the table in front of him. He puts the book in between them so the girl can look at the pictures while he reads aloud.

“A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth…”

-

Natsu was so distracted by the amount of books to choose from, he didn’t notice when or where Gray left to. Natsu held four books in his hands, the most recent being written five years ago. Natsu leaves the aisle and searches around the library. 

As he walks towards the front desk, Natsu sees Gray sitting beside a young child at a table. Their voices are quiet, but the closer Natsu gets, the clearer their words become. 

“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always,” Gray’s voice was smooth and refined. Soothing to the human ear, similar to the keys on the piano Gray plays late at night. “As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.” Natsu notices from afar that Gray wasn’t reading from the pages anymore. He was looking at the girl with a soft expression, reciting the words he obviously knew by heart. 

The girl smiles wide when the King closes the book. 

“Thank you, Mister! It was even better with the words!” She leans across the short distance between them, and hugs Gray around the neck. Gray chuckles softly, cheeks flushing. 

“You’re welcome.” He pats her back sweetly. 

She lets go and hops off her chair, waving goodbye as she runs down the aisles, disappearing. 

Natsu watches Gray flip the book to the front again, the King staring at the cover. Gray lets out a long breath. His right hand reaches up and rubs at his eyes. Natsu gives it a couple more seconds before walking up to the table. Gray looks up at the feeling of another presence. Natsu beams. 

“Ready to go?” Natsu asks, gesturing with his head towards the exit. Gray huffs a laugh and nods. Natsu begins his journey to the front desk to check out his books, as Gray takes his time standing and holding the book close to him. He studies the cover a bit longer before placing it on the counter with other books that are waiting to be returned to the shelves. Gray smiles to himself, following Natsu’s bright pink hair out of the library. 

-

“Look!” Natsu fumbles with the books, moving them to one arm, the other pointing to the sky. “The sun is out!” Gray follows Natsu’s finger, finding the man was correct. There was snow around them, but nothing falling from the sky. The clouds were gone and all that was left was a fiery, yellow and orange sun. 

“You’re right. Feels nice.” Gray takes a deep breath through his nose, eyes closing at the pleasant scents surrounding them. When he opens his eyes, Gray finds Natsu standing in front of him with smirk on his face. Gray’s cheeks redden. “What?” 

Natsu’s lips twitch in amusement. “Nothing.” Gray rolls his eyes and pushes past the pinket. 

“C’mon,” Gray calls to Natsu who quickly follows behind. 

The rest of the walk to the castle is quiet, but comfortable. Walking through the doors of Gray’s home, the men remove their jackets, and give them to Juvia, both saying  _ ‘thank you’ _ , accompanied by smiles. Natsu shivers lightly as he turns to Gray. 

“I’m going to head to my room and get started on these.” Natsu smiles at the King. “I’ll see you at dinner?” 

Gray nods, and his lips quirk up. Natsu gives a toothy grin and kisses Gray’s cheek. Gray stiffens and blushes, causing Natsu to chuckle. The pinket leaves with a wave, heading to his quarters, as Gray stands there with a dumbfounded expression and a hand to his face. 

“Sir?” Juvia stands in Gray’s line of vision. “Are you alright?” 

Gray shakes his head free of racing thoughts. “Yes, Miss Juvia. I’m fine.” He offers her a nod in acknowledgement. “Thank you.” 

Juvia flushes and smiles shyly, nodding her head and walking away. Gray looks down the hall where Natsu disappeared to, his smile turning into one of admiration. 

-

“Gramps!” Natsu yells excitedly into his lacrima. Chatter rings through the air as Natsu sets his lacrima to speaker, putting it on the bed in front of him. 

“Natsu, my boy!” Natsu’s grandfather responds, his voice gravelly through the phone. “Any updates?” Natsu bites his lip.

“Yeah! Got a minute?” Natsu flips through the pages of the most recent edition of the history of Alderchi. 

“Sure. Let me get to my office.” Natsu hears some fumbling, and the loud conversations soon stop altogether as his grandfather seems to have entered his office. “Alright. What’s going on?

Natsu goes on to explain his journey since leaving Fairy Tail. How the weather was beautiful for spring, until reaching the outskirts of Alderchi, where he was welcomed with heavy winds and snowfall. Natsu recounts  trenching through the cold before reaching the castle of this country. He laughs as he describes his first encounter with Gray. His grandfather scolds him for treating a King so poorly, but Natsu shakes him off and continues his story. Natsu quickly mentions how he was able to calm the King down after a nightmare, and the next day, they became friendly rivals. 

“I’m sure you enjoyed that.” Gramps laughs through the lacrima. Before Natsu can respond, his grandfather continues. “Gajeel has been itching to brawl since you left.” Natsu snorts. 

“Yeah, whatever.” Shaking his head, Natsu proceeds to tell him about Gray, and his game room and sparring center. Gramps listens closely, offering chuckles and reprimands depending on what Natsu tells him.

When Natsu reaches the part in his story where he kissed Gray for the first time, he goes quiet. Gramps notices this immediately and calls him out.

“Natsu?” His grandfather sounds worried, which causes Natsu to sigh. 

“I’m okay Gramps. I just, I think I really like this guy.” Natsu blushes as he confesses, this being the first time he’s ever said it aloud. He hears his grandfather sigh. 

“Well, my boy,” Gramps pauses. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Just be careful, he is royalty and all.” Natsu grins. It wasn’t that he thought his grandfather would ever judge him for his preferences, but it didn’t stop the fluttering in his chest at hearing those words. 

“Thanks, Gramps.” There’s a beat of silence before Natsu jumps in his place. “Oh! So, I found some archives of the town, and there’s some information that explains, yet doesn’t make sense regarding this weather.” 

-

Gray watches the clock, counting the minutes and seconds before deciding to retrieve Natsu for dinner. It wasn’t like the man to miss a meal. After all, Natsu had the stomach of a dragon, able to eat anything and everything. 

Gray walks swiftly to Natsu’s room, trying not to seem so excited at seeing the man. When he reaches Natsu’s quarters, the door is cracked open and Gray can hear Natsu talking. He tries not to eavesdrop, but what he hears causes him to freeze in place. 

“It says, ‘After the loss of King Silver and Queen Mika, snow fell in heavy heaps.’ I don’t know why, but it sounds like the sky was almost devastated by their deaths.” Natsu pauses, waiting for a response. Gray can’t breathe after hearing his late parents’ names. 

“It doesn’t give details, but it says here that ‘The King and Queen were found and pronounced dead in their castle.’ There’s nothing that says what happened.” Gray can feel his emotions bubbling to the surface. “Maybe I can ask Gray about it.” 

Gray’s chest tightens and he feels like he’s going to be sick.

“No, Gramps, I know. I’ll figure it out. I’ll get to the bottom of this and stop this winter.” There’s silence and Gray assumes Natsu is listening to the person on the other line. “Tell Wendy I miss her too.” Another pause. “No, Gramps. I’ll talk to Gray. I won’t be harsh about it. Promise.”

Gray grasps shirt tightly.  _ He’s using me.  _ Gray doesn’t want to believe it, but there’s nothing else that makes sense.  _ Just like everyone else. He’s getting close enough to hurt me.  _ Tears fall down Gray’s cheeks as he walks away from Natsu’s room.  _ I refuse to let that happen. I’ll make him leave, and by dawn he’ll be nothing but a memory.  _

-

“He’s a jackass, but pretty funny to-, woah.” Natsu cuts himself off when the sounds of rough winds hit against his windows. He slowly stands, moving closer to see the storm brewing. 

“Natsu? Natsu!” Gramps calls out to his grandson. Natsu breaks from his trance. 

“Sorry Gramps, it’s just, a storm just started out of nowhere.” Natsu is captivated by the fast moving clouds hovering overhead, and the light flurries turning into heavy flakes. “It’s like the sky got angry and this is the result.” Gramps hums in response. Natsu continues to watch. 

“Natsu, if this winter is this sporadic, which it hasn’t been since it started all those years ago, from what you told me, it could be dangerous to the country and townspeople.” Natsu’s face hardens, determination seeping through. 

“Your right, Gramps.” Natsu clutches a fist at his side. “I’m getting to the bottom of this.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love that book. my mom read it to me too when i was young. 
> 
> anyway, thoughts? pls let me know what you think!!   
> everything will be explained in due time, i promise. 
> 
> for anyone who may have wondered what took so long, a lot has changed and happen in the past couple of weeks. 
> 
> in short, i got a new job that requires me to be up and around at the weirdest hours and is an hour from my home. by time i get off work and am home, i'm exhausted and pass out immediately. then when i wake the next day, i have to get ready and go back to work. it's been rough, but i think i'm getting used to it. in addition, my sister has been in and out of the hospital and it's been hard on our family. we're hoping this chaotic-ness ends soon, for her sake. 
> 
> anyway, i'm sorry for the excuses, but i hope you can forgive me. i've already started the next chapter and REALLY want to have it out soon!! pls hold out just a little longer for me <3 
> 
> thank you for reading <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Gray, I’m so sorry,” Natsu frantically explains. He rushes over to the couch, and sits down next to Gray. “I got a call from my grandfather, and I haven’t spoken to him in a while, and I -” Gray stands up abruptly.  
> “You need to leave,” Gray commands. Natsu stares wide eyed before getting to his feet.   
> “What?” Natsu’s eyes narrow at the King.  
> “I said, you need to leave,” Gray sneers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here it is! the final chapter for this short story!! 
> 
> i hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> shout out to @mdelpin for helping with EVERYTHING. you're amazing <3

After Natsu hangs up with his grandfather, he goes to the dining hall for dinner. On the way there, he notices a clock on the wall, telling him he was incredibly late. His eyes widen, and he bolts to where he hopes Gray is still waiting for him. 

He bursts through the doors, only to find the room empty, except for the table with a single plate where Natsu usually sits. Frowning, Natsu trudges to his seat and plops down. Taking his fork, he begins picking at the mashed potatoes in front of him, before giving up and slumping in his seat. Natsu’s hands cover his face, as he sighs deeply.

Lost in his thoughts and guilt over practically standing Gray up, Natsu doesn’t hear the door to the kitchen open. The pinket jumps in his seat when he hears Romeo clear his throat. Dropping his hands, Natsu stares at Romeo who’s standing beside him. 

“Are you finished, sir Natsu?” Romeo speaks clearly and professionally. Natsu breathes deeply.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Natsu’s shoulders sag further. “Thanks, Romeo.” Natsu gives the teen a sad smile. 

Romeo bows, before taking Natsu’s untouched plate and heading back to the kitchen. However, before he opens the door, he looks back at Natsu with an empathetic expression. 

“He’s in the main living room,” Romeo doesn’t wait for a response as he continues into the kitchen. Natsu is out of his seat so fast, he ends up tripping over the leg of the chair. 

Romeo watches from the little window in the kitchen door, chuckling. 

“Romeo!” Macao’s voice floods the small kitchen as he calls for his son. The teen continues to laugh softly as he walks over to his father. “What’re you smiling about?” 

Romeo looks his father in the eye, “I’m just happy that King Gray has someone like Natsu now,” 

The butler grins at his son. “All of us are, son. All of us.” 

-

Gray doesn’t flinch when Natsu bursts through the threshold of the living room. The King is sitting on the couch, archive in hand as he reads about his kingdom before his parents ruled it. Letting out a breath, Gray turns to the next page, mind not able to focus on the words anymore, now that Natsu was present.

“Gray, I’m so sorry,” Natsu frantically explains. He rushes over to the couch, and sits down next to Gray. “I got a call from my grandfather, and I haven’t spoken to him in a while, and I -” Gray stands up abruptly.

“You need to leave,” Gray commands. Natsu stares wide eyed before getting to his feet. 

“What?” Natsu’s eyes narrow at the King.

“I said, you need to leave,” Gray sneers, teeth grinding. Natsu steps closer to Gray, invading his personal space. The King doesn’t back down, keeping a harsh look as he glares at Natsu. 

The staring contest continues for a few more moments before Natsu scoffs and stomps off to his room to gather his things. Once he’s out of sight, Gray sighs deeply, closing his eyes.  _ This is for the best _ . Gray waits a couple minutes to compose himself before making his way to the front doors of the castle. 

The King doesn’t wait long until Natsu joins him. The pinket drops his suitcase before aggressively shoving his jacket on. Refusing to meet Gray’s eyes, Natsu buttons up his coat and picks up his things, opening the main doors. 

As soon as Natsu does, a burst of cold air and harsh snow hits him. Natsu turns around to finally look at Gray, who stands there with his arms crossed over his chest, looking almost bored. 

“You can’t seriously expect me to leave in this weather?” Natsu asks. Gray dismisses the man with a flick of his wrist.

“Not my problem,” Gray states. Natsu’s expression turns from annoyance to heartbroken, just before he pivots back to the exit and walks out of the castle and Gray’s life. 

As the large doors shut behind Natsu, a small tear falls down Gray’s face. 

-

“Stupid bastard, all I did was miss dinner,” Natsu mumbles to himself, arms clutching around his body for warmth. “No need to kick me out.” He shivers as he keeps walking to the town he and Gray had traveled earlier that day. 

The harsh winds slow, and the snow falls in light flakes, rather than clumpy ones. Natsu pauses in his tracks and looks up at the sky. The frozen specks hit Natsu’s cheeks, melting  instantly . He raises a hand to wipe the wetness away, and feels a strange sense of sadness overwhelm him. 

“It’s like the sky is crying.”

-

Gray bolts to his room once Natsu is gone, body shaking with anger. He slams the door to his chambers behind him and lets out a shuddering breath as he leans against the wood. After one more deep breath, the King walks to his windows that overlook the front of the castle. He can faintly see Natsu’s frame trudging through the storm. Natsu’s pink hair whips wildly from the brutal winds. Gray wraps his arms around his upper torso, the ache in his heart increasing as tears flow down his face freely. 

Though his vision is blurry, Gray can see the tempest let up, and Natsu’s body becomes clearer. Gray’s eyes widen at the sudden change in the weather, confusion lacing his features. 

The King is a smart man. Living practically alone for a majority of his life, he taught himself many things, while reading lots of books on history, psychology, and more. He’d read mystery novels, solving the riddles before the protagonists were even close, recognising clues in between the lines of each sentence. 

So when Gray’s mood changes from anger to sadness, and the climate follows in suit, the wheels in Gray’s head begin to turn. 

To test his theory, Gray closes his eyes and took deep breaths, relaxing himself as much as possible. He ignores the pain of Natsu leaving, and instead remembers the happier times they’ve spent together. Dinner dates, reading in comfortable silence, sweet kisses and cuddling, the competitions they got into, and just enjoying each other’s company no matter what they did. A small smile graced his face, and he opens his eyes to look out the window once more.

He can’t stop the gasp that escapes his lips or the fall of his arms when he sees the snow has completely stopped, and the sun is shining on the horizon, indicating sunset. 

Now Gray keeps his eyes open, and focuses all his energy on the anger he feels for Natsu betraying him. Since the rage is still fresh, it isn’t hard to find those emotions. 

He looks out to Natsu’s fading figure, a rush of different emotions flooding his body. Gray clutches his fists at his sides and leaves his bedroom, calling out to Macao and Romeo. 

-

“What the actual fuck?” Natsu murmurs to himself. 

Since leaving the castle and walking out to a raging storm, Natsu can’t help but feel like there’s  a battle being waged in the skies. The biting winds have dwindled to a soft gentle breeze, the snowflakes caressing his cheeks, almost in apology. For the first time since his arrival in Alderchi he can see the sky light up in the oranges and yellows of the sunset. He can’t remember the last time he’s seen something this beautiful and it tempers his mood somewhat.

Too soon the tempest is back, its howls angry and unforgiving. Gusts of snow lash through the air, and now Natsu can barely see ahead of him. The breeze is different this time, though. It whips in several directions at once: up, down, side-to-side. 

_ It’s like the weather can’t make up its mind.  _ Natsu shivers and continues trudging until he sees the faint lights of the town. Walking what he hopes is the same path from earlier in the day when he and Gray went to the library, Natsu passes many  **CLOSED** signs because of the storm. 

_ I really hope the library is still open.  _

-

“Sir, I don’t think I understand,” Macao stands by a pacing Gray. The King just told the butler his theory about the eternal winter. 

“I know it sounds crazy, Macao,” Gray addresses his employee casually. “But please, you have to see for yourself.” Gray stands eye to eye with the man who has raised him since his parents died.

Macao sighs and nods, following Gray to the front of the castle. The King opens the doors to the outside, displaying the lashing winds. Macao shields his face from speckles of sleet. Gray ignores the burn, turning his face to the side and looking at his butler with a serious expression.

“Watch.” Gray closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Like earlier, he thinks of more pleasant times, this time with his mother, and the love his parents shared with each other and their country. Gray only reopens his eyes when he hears Macao gasp loudly. The sunset is a brilliant orange and yellow, much different from the past couple of years, the snow has stopped, and the wind is calm. 

“Oh my Gods,” Macao whispers.

-

“I really hope this is unlocked, or else I have no clue where to go.” Natsu shakes the snow from his legs as he pushes the door to the library open. He lets out a sigh of relief. 

“Hello?” Natsu calls out in the quiet library. After a couple moments of no response, Natsu lets out a long breath. 

“I guess I should look for somewhere to sleep,” Natsu mumbles. His stomach growls and he’s reminded that he skipped dinner. “Damn it,” Natsu mutters angrily. Walking to the far back corner of the building, Natsu’s eyes skim the shelves of books. 

When he reaches the rear of the library, the pinket finds two small lounge chairs for people to sit and read comfortably.  _ Not exactly made to sleep, but it’ll do for now. _

Sighing, Natsu drops his bag to the floor and plops into the chair, eyes immediately closing. 

-

“Macao! Is everything ready?” Gray straightens his robes, walking into the main foyer of the castle. 

“Yes, sir! All we have to do is open the doors.” The butler stands with his arms behind his back, bowing slightly as Gray enters. 

The King’s throne has been moved from the dark corner of the living room to a makeshift pedestal in the main foyer. The dust had been removed, and the chair looks brand new. Gray stops in his tracks to take in the view, a sort of nostalgia filling him. The last time he remembers seeing the throne set up, his father had been sitting there, beside his mother in her own. Gray had been so young then, playing with toys to the side of Mika’s chair. He remembers his parents laughing and smiling with each other, while helping and consoling the townspeople that entered the castle. They never turned anyone away, and although that is what got them killed, Gray will always enjoy those happy memories and the knowledge of what his parents meant to their kingdom.

Gray takes a deep breath before walking towards the chair. He stands in front of it, hesitant to take a seat. Macao notices this. 

“Sir, is everything alright?” Gray jumps slightly at the sound of another voice, looking to the source.

“Yes, Macao,” Gray mumbles and looks back to the throne, but doesn’t budge. He hears Macao sigh.

“Your parents would be proud, Gray,” His words cause Gray to look up again, eyes wide in fear and hope. Macao smiles. “I know they would, no matter what you think of yourself,” Gray flushes slightly and ducks his head.

“How can you be so sure?” His voice is low, and Macao has to strain to hear him clearly. “How can you know they’d be proud when all I’ve done is cause suffering to our own kingdom?” Gray’s voice cracks and he sniffles harshly, trying to keep his tears at bay.

“Gray,” Macao calls out, causing the young King to acknowledge him. “They would understand you were grieving. And besides, you didn’t realize what was actually happening until only last night. But you’re doing something about it now. You didn’t hesitate to makes things right when you understood the situation. And that’s how I know they’d be proud.” Tears trail down Gray’s face slowly, and Macao takes a deep breath. “No one blames you, sir. And we’re all here for you, no matter what.” 

Gray coughs into his fist, then wipes his tears quickly. “Gray,” He whispers, but Macao doesn’t hear. 

“What was that, sir?” Gray grins, eyes brighter than Macao has ever seen them. 

“Gray, please call me Gray.” Macao returns his smile, bowing.

“Okay, Gray.” 

-

“What the hell?” Natsu’s groggy body moves before his brain can catch up. Suddenly, he’s standing at the windows of the library, looking out into the town. He uses his hand to wipe at the fogged up glass, and is surprised to find the streets bustling, loud chatter throughout the air. 

He slowly opens the door, and catches snippets of conversations as everyone heads in the same direction. 

“We must see him!”

“He’s finally opened the castle doors!”

“We can ask for his guidance on the taxes!”

“And for his support to our community!” 

“The skies have opened and our King is here! All hail the King!” 

“All hail the King!” 

Natsu’s eyes widen at the words he hears. It’s then that a small cloud shifts and the sun shines brightly onto his face, causing his eyes to squint. He lifts a hand to block the light, and tilts his head towards the ground. His eyes get larger as he notices the minimal wetness on the ground, as if it had only rained for a moment. There was nothing to show there had been a snowstorm the night before. 

Just as he straightens again, Natsu notices a young woman carrying her child coming towards him. 

“Excuse me, miss?” Natsu calls out to her, and she stops in her tracks, a bit out of breath. 

“Yes, sir?” She asks, but her eyes continuously dart towards the path to the castle. 

“What is going on?” She gives him a look of exasperation, then points with her free hand to a sign hanging on the window of the library. He nods his head in thanks, and the woman takes that as permission to continue on her way. 

The paper read:  **_Your King is alive and well! He invites you all to his castle. Bring your loved ones, your grievances, and your questions. The King is willing to answer it all! At noon tomorrow, the castle doors will open, and remain that way until sunset. King Gray and his staff eagerly await your arrival._ **

Natsu’s heart flutters and he smiles.  _ He’s opening  up to his country.  _ He feels so proud of the man Gray has become. But that grin soon falls as he remembers yesterday, and Gray’s tears as he kicked him out. Natsu feels guilty, and unsure of what to do. 

His stomach rumbles at that moment, and he makes his way to a small cafe, intending to make his decision over a meal. 

-

“How’re you doing, Gray?” Macao smirks at the King’s side, watching the way Gray’s eyes are half closed and his body is slumped on his throne. 

“Just great, thanks,” He grumbles before groaning and stretching high, repositioning himself in his chair. “How many more?” Macao chuckles softly. 

“Sir, we’re finished for the day, look.” Macao nods his head in the direction of the castle doors, which are now closed, as Juvia sweeps the floors in front of them. Gray sighs and slumps once again. 

“Thank goodness,” His eyes shut and Macao sits on the arm of the chair. 

“So, now what?” Macao asks, and Gray peeks an eye open, staring up at him. 

“What do you mean?” Macao gives him a pointed look. 

“C’mon, Gray, I know you’re not satisfied with the day,” Gray closes his eyes again and tries sitting up, bones creaking in distress. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gray opens his eyes again, focusing on the the broom in Juvia’s hands, gliding across the floor. Macao sighs, annoyed.

“Natsu,” Gray tenses at the name and it isn’t unnoticed. “I know you’re upset he didn’t come back, but can you blame him?” Gray slouches, curling into himself. 

“Yeah, well,” He starts, but doesn’t finish, unsure of what he actually wants to say. 

“Go find him, Gray.” The King looks at his butler with a confused look.

“Huh?” 

“I’ve never seen you as happy as when you are with him, I know he means something to you.” Macao pokes Gray’s arm. “Go find him.” Gray narrows his eyes.

“Ya know, I’m the boss around here.” Macao raises an eyebrow at that statement, daring Gray to continue talking. Gray stiffens, but keeps up a confident expression. Macao stays still, refusing to back down. The silent battle continues for a couple of moments before Gray concedes. 

“Okay, okay!” Gray stands to his feet, holding his hands up in surrender. “Jeez, scary.” He mutters, walking to the front of the castle.

“Good luck, Gray!” Macao yells, waving with a smug grin.

-

Natsu trudges up the hill towards the castle as darkness surrounds him. The only light he has is the castle in the distance and the town behind him, but even then it was hard to see two feet in front of him. 

Natsu spent the day in town, walking around, talking with townsfolk, and eating his stomach away, trying all types of foods. But now that the day was done, and people returned to their homes for supper, Natsu decided it was time to demand answers. Sure, it’s after sunset and the doors are closed, but he refuses to leave until Gray gives him a reason for kicking him out so suddenly. 

Natsu barely has a chance to list each question in his head before he hears his name called out.  _ Weird, that sounds like - _

“Natsu!” The pink haired male squints his eyes, seeing a lean male running towards him.

“Gray..?” Natsu questions. He continues forwards, keeping his eyes on the man far in front of him.

“Natsu! Natsu!” Gray keeps calling his name, and Natsu begins to find it annoying. 

“I’m right here, ya damn bastard.” Natsu huffs, hopefully loud enough for Gray to hear. Gray picks up speed, and is soon directly in front of Natsu. “What the fu-”

Gray smashed his lips to Natsu’s, cutting off the curse. He’s smiling wide, holding Natsu’s face firmly, yet gently in his palms. After a couple of moments, Gray pulls back, his grin bright. 

They stare in silence, Natsu stunned while Gray was ecstatic. 

Thoughts finally catching up with him, Natsu pushes Gray away. 

“What the fuck, Gray?” He asks angrily, and Gray furrows his brows. “You throw me out into a fucking blizzard, leaving me to freeze with no food. Then you just show up and kiss me, thinking everything will be okay again?” Natsu’s seething, fire in his eyes. “That’s messed up, I don’t fucking get it.” He steps back, putting more distance between the two.

Gray’s face falls even more, as his shoulders slump. “Natsu, I’m - I’m so sorry.” He tries, reaching a hand out. Natsu glares at the appendage like it killed a cat, and Gray drops it to his side. “I can explain, please.” He pleads.

Natsu crosses his arms in front of his chest, grunting. “Fine.” Gray lets out a long breath before nodding and turning back towards the castle, but Natsu doesn’t move. Recognizing this, Gray stops and sighs. 

“Will you please come back with me to the castle?” Natsu stares at Gray’s back for a moment before responding with a quiet, yet mad  _ yeah _ . 

The two walk in silence as Natsu follows a good distance behind Gray. When they reach the castle, Gray opens the door, holding it open for Natsu who hesitates. Gray looks at him worried.

“Natsu?” He snaps his attention towards Gray, noticing the look of concern, before sighing deeply and walking through the threshold. Gray copies his long breath and closes the large doors behind them. 

The King leads them to the living room, and sits on one end of the couch, as Natsu drops his bag and jacket, sitting at the other end. It’s awkwardly quiet for a couple minutes until Natsu speaks up. 

“So, you gonna explain, or?” He refuses to look at Gray, fiddling with the end of his shirt. Gray laughs softly.

“Right,” He scratches the back of his head. “Well, as you read, I lost my parents a couple of years ago.” Natsu’s breathe hitches at the way Gray says that. “It was, really hard. And still kind of is.” Gray’s voice is small and tired, but he keeps going. “And so, being the prince, the weight of the country fell on my shoulders. But I was just a kid, and had lost my mom and dad. I wanted to grieve, to be alone. So, I did. Never left the castle until  about a year ago, but even then it was just to roam the outer edges.” He let out a sigh. “I never went into town, not until you came here.” Natsu can’t help but look over at the man beside him. But Gray wouldn’t meet his eyes, and seems determined to finish.

“It wasn’t until we were in town that I realized the winter weather, it was the same as the day we buried my parents.” Gray laughs humorlessly. “Anyway, yesterday, I was going to get you for dinner, and heard you talking to someone.” Natsu tenses even more, looking down and staring wide-eyed at his lap, unsure of what Gray actually heard. Gray looks over at Natsu, noticing the stiffness in his body. “Natsu.”

Natsu looks up quickly, nervous and a bit afraid. Gray smiles sadly. “Natsu, I lost two of the most important people to me because they were such open and kind people. They let anyone into our castle if it seemed they needed the help.” Natsu can’t move, and Gray refuses to break eye contact. “I know it’s not in the book, so I’ll tell you myself.” Taking a deep breathe, Gray pauses a couple seconds to compose himself. 

“It was a random man. I’d never met him, but my parents said he’d been struggling for a while. It was snowing, _ of freaking course _ , so they offered him a guest room for the night.” Natsu holds his breath. “The next morning, I woke up to our staff screaming and running around the castle. It was Macao who came into my room, he held me in his arms, not allowing me to see what happened. I think I knew though. There was something about the man that had rubbed me the wrong way, but I was a kid, and my parents never turned their backs on anyone. Macao and I fell asleep in my room after a while, but I woke up first. I quietly left my room, and walked the now quiet halls until I overheard a couple of maids talking.” Gray closes his eyes as tears fill them.

“I heard, ‘stabbing’ and ‘killed’ and then my parent’s names.” Gray chokes on a sob, and Natsu shifts closer, but still not enough to touch. “I wasn’t an idiot. I put two and two together and just cried,  _ screamed _ … I don’t remember anything else after that, to be honest. I only remember going to the funeral, and coming back to Macao and my father’s staff telling me my new responsibilities, which I still don’t even understand, and, I just- I-” Gray is suddenly at a loss for words, and breaks down completely.

Natsu throws all stubbornness out the window and wraps Gray into his arms. The sobbing man clutches to Natsu’s shirt, as water falls from his eyes. Natsu buries his face in Gray’s hair, hiding his own tears, his heart breaking with each choking sound Gray makes. He doesn’t let go,  _ refuses _ to let go, grasping Gray like a lifeline, hoping the King finds some sort of comfort in the exchange. 

A long ten minutes passes before Gray calms down enough to breathe evenly, but Natsu keeps holding on. Soon, the King shifts to press his face into Natsu’s neck, breathing in his smokey scent deeply, causing a shiver to rake through Natsu’s body. Gray smirks into the skin and presses a light kiss before pulling away, noticing the position they were now in. 

They’re in the middle of the couch, Gray sitting in Natsu’s lap sideways against the male’s torso. Natsu has his arms hung loosely around Gray’s body, his left hand rubbing slow circles up and down the King’s back.

Gray blushes and looks down, letting out a shaky sigh. “Sorry about that,” he croaks. 

“Don’t be,” Before Gray can even finish his apology, Natsu speaks up, voice equally as rough. “I’m sorry,” Natsu continues. Gray’s eyebrows scrunch.

“For what?” 

“I was a pretty big asshole when I first got here,” Natsu says while shrugging. “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions, even if you did deserve it.” Gray chuckles, the sound bringing a smile to Natsu’s face.

“Maybe you were an asshole, but I could’ve treated you and others much better than I did,” Gray retaliates. Natsu smirks at that.

“Well, yeah, probably,” Natsu agrees. Gray punches his shoulder lightly, while Natsu lets out a loud laugh. 

Silence overwhelms them again and Gray lets out his hundredth sigh of the night. “Anyway, I overheard you talking to whoever was on your lacrima,” Gray continues, and makes the decision to takes Natsu’s free hand into his own. “And I thought maybe you were using me and then were going to just leave or whatever once you got what you were looking for.” Gray mumbles the last half of that sentence, curling into himself. 

Natsu snickers. “Far from it, actually,” Gray looks up into green eyes, confused. Natsu smirks, leaning to connect their foreheads. “You obviously didn’t hear the beginning of our conversation.” Gray blushes and shake his head. Natsu’s lip twitches further up. “I told my grandfather about how much I really liked you.” He rubs his nose against Gray’s, giggling at the growing redness.

“But, it sounded like -” Gray shuts himself up, thinking back to the conversation he overheard.  _ He never  _ **_did_ ** _ say he was leaving, or that he was using me, but _ \- 

Gray’s inner turmoil is cut short. “Maybe it sounded like that, but I didn’t want to leave, I  _ don’t _ want to leave.” Gray lets those words sink in before leaning forward and gently kissing Natsu, who pushes his lips forward excitedly. It doesn’t escalate, the two happy just being this close to each other. 

When they pull away Natsu laughs again. “Besides, I mostly came here to figure out this whole winter situation, but after today, it seems to be fixed.” Natsu shrugs his shoulders, beaming at the man in his arms.

Gray’s eyes widen and he jumps from Natsu’s lap, causing the pinkett to pout. “That’s right! I have to show you something.” Gray grabs Natsu’s hand and pulls him to the front of the castle quickly, opening the doors and stopping at the top of the stairs. Natsu pants next to Gray.

“What the hell, man,” He puts his hands on his knees. “Warn a guy before dragging him around.” Natsu straightens up, hands on his hips. Gray snickers. 

“Sorry, forgot you were a slow poke,” He smirks at Natsu’s gawking expression. 

“You wanna go, bas-”

“Later, right now I need to show you something,” Gray reaches his hand out, waiting for Natsu to take it. Once he does, they stand side by side, staring out into the darkness of the night. Gray closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. 

He thinks of the anger he still has for the man who had killed his parents, thinks of how he felt when he thought Natsu was betraying him. 

Suddenly, both men feel specks of heavy snow hit their bodies. Natsu shivers. 

“What the fuck,” He whispers. Gray lets his lips quirk up as he thinks of happy times. The snow stops, and the winds change, grazing their skin lightly, causing a happy feeling to spread through them.

“Woah,” Natsu says and looks over at Gray, who opens his eyes and beams at Natsu.

“I’m not sure why or what happened, but I want to understand.” Natsu turns towards Gray completely, the King following his movements. “And I want to ask,” Gray pauses, staring deep into Natsu’s friendly eyes. “Would you stay and help me figure it out?” Gray bites his bottom lip, stomach dropping slightly. 

“Of course I will,” Natsu’s sweet smile graces his features, causing Gray’s heart to burst happily. “I did promise my grandfather I’d fix this eternal winter.” He winks at Gray, who smirks.

“Then let’s get started.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please let me know what you think!! i'd love as much criticism as possible, considering this is my first multi-chapter story. 
> 
> Thank you for reading <3

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think! I love criticism <3


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